China’s extended 2026 Spring Festival holiday has set new records for travel and consumer spending as millions took advantage of nine consecutive days off. The longer break allowed people to first visit family and then travel for leisure, boosting sectors such as tourism, aviation, retail, and entertainment.
China State Railway Group reported about 298 million train tickets sold for the holiday travel period, known as Chunyun, which runs from February 2 to March 13 and is expected to see a record 9.5 billion trips. Older travelers were a major factor in the surge, with booking platform Qunar noting a sharp rise in passengers aged 60 and above, many flying for the first time.
Leisure spending also grew strongly. China’s box office revenue exceeded 6 billion yuan early in the year, with holiday ticket sales alone contributing more than 3.4 billion yuan. Popular films included Pegasus 3, Scare Out, and Boonie Bears: The Hidden Protector. Family travel increased significantly, with destinations such as Beijing Universal Resort and Shanghai Disneyland ranking among the most visited.
International travel rose as well, with Chinese tourists visiting 475 cities worldwide, especially in Asia. At the same time, inbound travel increased, with authorities forecasting daily cross-border trips of more than 2.05 million, up 14.1 percent year on year. Domestic flight bookings made with foreign passports rose 20 percent, showing growing interest from international visitors.
Retail and dining sales during the first four days of the holiday rose 8.6 percent compared with last year, according to Ministry of Commerce of China. Demand for technology products also surged, with wearable device sales up nearly 20 percent and smart glasses more than doubling.
Credit : CGTN
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